Vapor-electric-lamp circuit.



P. H. THOMAS. VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMP CIRCUIT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 37. 1905.

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Pa tented Feb.T5, 1910.

ltlontclair,.,county of Essex, State 01 New electrodei'are Started into operation by rup- UNITED STARS ATENT @FFICE.

TltJ IOlVIAS OF MON'ICLAQflEl/V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 COOP ER HEXVIT'I. ElI'J F-("l "llvRICl ,GOIVIPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

.if i I VAPOR-ELECTRIC-LAMP CIRCUIT.

9493335; Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Fol). is, rate.

"v I Application filed January 27, 1905. Serial No. M23362.

To alt/Whom it may concern:

Be,it;known that I, PERCY IL Tlrouas, a citizen of the United States, and resldcnt oi oi the negative electrodes and the source oi an inductance common to both circuits.

The invention will be understooi'l by reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagram of an apparatus well adapted to the carrying out of my invention.

In the drawing, 1 is the container of a vapor lamp having two positive electrodes, 2 and 3, and two negative electrodes, 4 and 5, the latter electrodes are in this instance represented as ol mercury and are separated by a ridge, (5, the electrodes themselves being contained in pockets formed on opposite sides of this ridge. 'lhc nega- Jerseyflrayo invented certaiirnew and useful Improvements in Vapor-Electrte-Lamp ()ircuits,;..of wh ch the following is a speci- When single phase alternating current vapor lamps, provided with a single negative turing, adinternal circuit, it sometimes hapi pensnthatt the=break in the circuit does not occunattheright phase for constituting the electrodeqwh'ich is intended for the negative electrode-attire apparatus a true negative electrode. Consequently, the rupturing of the internal circnithas to take place a munber of times he'forethe right moment 01'' rupture is hit upom It is obviously of advantage at times to provide apparatus which will start at every attempt. To accom )lish this purpose 1 pro vide two negative e ectrodes within the con tain'crofthe appa 'a 11s, the same being conncctedito'points in the supply circuit apsource of alternating current which in this instance is represented as a. t'rai'istorincr having a primary, T, and a secondary, 8', the secondary terminals being joined to the positive electrodes and 3 through an induetance, 9, having a core, 10. The core 1.0 is represented as being surrounded by two windings, one (it which is contained in the circuit leading from one terminal of the secomlary to the positive electrode. 2 and the other of which is shown as being included in proximating the neutral poiulhut separated the circuit, leading trom the positive termiby a sufiicient potential to cause some. flow of nal of the secondary to the positive elect rode current iii thetwo negative electrodes should 3. Current flowing through one winding accidentally bccome connected. In other to of the llltltlClLtlIltjO it to the electrode 2 and spcctsithe circuits are as usual. the negative electrode of the apparatus 'Ioqstart'the apparatus, the lamp or other or s energy in the core 10, which energy Vapqi gd fi i sh kgn 'tilt t so as ,t may be delivered to the a paratus either in bring-the twoncgative electrodes into conthe winding of the device 9 coniuscted to the tact and separate them. The negative elecpositive electrode 2 or in any other windtroderesistance is thus broken down and the ing upon'thc same core as, for example, the lamp-olflotherdevice will start into opcrawinding connected in series with the position through-one of the positive electrodes tivc electrode 3. Similarly energy stored and through-the negative electrode which by. current through the winding of the iir happensto be a true negative electrode at ductancc 9 connected with the positive electhe moment' ofx rupture. The device coir trodc 3 may he delivered in any of the tinues in operation upon the negative elecwindings upon the core 10. Thus, at any trodcat which the operation starts, or it time energy may be delivered from the (Olu may beksoarranged as to work through both 10 to the apparatus as, for example, at the of *the negative electrodes which may then zero point of the alternating current wave be connected, or in case'of an accidental re or at the time of any momentary tendency establishment of contact between the ncgafor the establishment of the negative elec tive electrodes the current may be transtrode resistance. ferretlztothe other'negative electrode instead 'lhe-conncctions from the negative elecof remaining at the one through which it trodes 4 and 5 to the secondary 8 are made at starts. points on opposite sides of the neutral point Forithe purpose of regulating the short ofthe said secondary so that there is a difcircuitcurrent and maintaining proper opference of potential between the two elcc erationof the apparatus, I may provide an trodes sufficient to cause the flow of a small inductance in the connection between either current when the electrodes are'in contact ltlll the operation has begun.

' assists in steadying the operation of the devlce.

The functions of the resistance 11 will be fully understood from the following explanation of the starting and ope 'ation. W hen current is impressed upon the source 7 and connection exists between the electrodes 4 and 5 within the container, current will pass from the limited portion of the'winding 8 which is included between the connections leading to the electrodes 4 and 5 through the two windings of the inductance 11 and the electrodes 4: and 5 and the connection between them. Since'these connections are of comparatively low resistance, as is the mercury of the electrodes 4: and 5, a considerable current would tend to flow it' the inductance 11 were not present. Since, however, the windings are so directed with respect to the core that current flowing to the electrode in one windin and from the electrode in the other windlng tends to magnetize inthe same direction, a considerable inductance is introduced which serves to control the initial f current. Since this current is alternating;

current will sometimes be passing into one electrode and sometimes out of this electrode,

but since the arrangement is symmetric-ah,

either of the electrodes is equally capable of acting as a normal negative, so that when the break occurs withln the vacuum between the electrodes 4 and 5 after the establishment of the initial alternating current from the winding 8, whichever electrode happens at that instant to be acting as the negative, will receive current from the positives in the normal way and act as the normal negative. In case, however, the electrodes a and 5 rentwill evidently flow through both windings of the inductance 1], since in this way the total inductance will be least in view of the fact that currents passing to two electrodes tend to magnetizc the core in opposite directions.

Thus no second shaking or tilting 0 which the current applied through the positive electrodes 2 and 3 is able totraverse the vapor in the apparatus and set the lamp or of the negative electrodes which happens to be in proper relation to the cooperatingv positive electrode for being made active as the negative electrode of the a paratus.

the container will be necessary in order to insure the starting of the apparatus.

Should the electrodes l and 5 be 'acci dcntally brought into contact While the apparatus is operating, there will be no interruption of the operation, inasmuch as the main current will find a relatively easy path through the apparatus at all times after the initial breaking down of the negative elec- It may, however, happen trode reluctance: that the 'current will be transferred from the original negative starting electrode to the other electrode, or it the apparatus should become clogged, so as to maintain the negative electrode in contact, both electrodes may serve as negative electrodes.

In a divisional application, Serial Numher 255,082, filed April 12,1905, claims are "made upon the method described-herein.

I claim as my invention 1. An alternating current vapor device having a plurality of positive electrodes and two negative electrodes.

2. A single-phasc alternating current uapordevice having two positive electrodes and two negative electrodes.

A single-phase alternating curren vapor device having two positive electrodes and two negative electrodes, a source ofalternating current having its terminals conion lll5

nected to the positive electrodes and having intermediate points on opposite sides of the neutral point connected to the negative electrodes 4. A vapor device having a plurality of positive electrodes and two negative electrodes,a source of alternating current having become connected within the chamber, curi To start the lamp, the container is shaken source intermediate between the terminals.

so as to bring the materials constituting the electrodes 4 and 5 into contact over the ridge (3, after which the separation takes place and the current which. durin the )criod of coni F7 tact, has been caused to llow across the negative electrodes, is interrupted, and a low I takes place between the electrodes after sepai two terminals connected w th the positive electrodes and having intermediate points on opposite sides of the neutral point connected to the n gative electrodes.

5. The combination with a vapor electric device having two negative electrodes, of a source of alternating current, leads from the said negath'e electrodes to points in the between the negative e ectrodes and the hOlll'CC.

U. The combination with a vapor electric device hav ng two negative electrodes, of a source of alternating current, leads from the said negative electrodes to points in the source intermediate vbetween the. terminals thereof and the neutral polnt thereof, in

combination wlth a doubly wound 1nductance interposed between the negative, electrodes and the source.

7. The combination with a vapor device having a plurality of positive electrodes and at least one negative electrode, of connec tions from the terminals ot the source to the positive electrodes, connection from each negative electrode to an intermediate Joint ot the source, and an inductance in the leads from the terminals of the source to the positive electrodes such indl'letance being provided with a plurality of windings. one of which is included in the connection between each positive electrode and a terminal of the source, these windings being sowonnd as to magnetize the core in the same direction.

8. The combination with an alternating current circuit, a vapor device operated and started therefrom and means "tor severing within the vacuum space a metallic contact while carrying current, derived from said circuit for breaking down the negative electrode starting reluctance, of means for :nabling the apparatus to start regardless of the alternations in which the severing ot' the said contact occurs.

8). The combination with a gas or vapor electric apparatus and asource of altcrnan ing current of multiple leads to said apparatus, a core and multiple windings inserted in said leads between the source ot current and the vapor device, said windings being so directed that a current passing to and from said container through said multiple windings magnetizes the core in the same direction in all of said windings.

10. A vapor device having a. plurality of positive electrodes and two negative electrodes a source of alternating current having terminals connected with the positive electrodes and having intermediate. points on opposite sides otthe neutral point connected to the negative electrodes. and means for closing the circuit through the ncgatiw elect rodes.

ll. A vapor device having a pluralitv of 'positive clectrodcs and'two negative electrodes, a source ot alternating current having terminals connected with the posilivc,

electrodes and having intermediate points on opposite sides of the neutral point connected to the negative electrodes, means for closing the circuit through the negative electrodes, and means for causing a separation of the said clectrodesl 12. A vapor device having a plurality of positive electrodes and two negative electrodes, a source of alternating current having terminals connected with the positive electrodes and having iitermediate points on opposite sides of the neutral point connected to the negative electrodes, n ans for closing the circuit through the negative electrodes, and means for causing a separation of the said electrodes through a suitable inductance.

13. In a'vacuum apparatus operated from an alternating current circuit, means for breaking a contact carrying alternating current within the vacuum for overcoming tilrt negative electrode startin reluctance in combination with a plurai itv of negative electrodes, each provided with suitable connections to the circuit, said electrodes'and connections being similar and means for producing cooperative action between said negative electrodes to start the device, said last named means being included in said first named means.

It. In a gas or vapor electric apparatus the combination with a source of alternating current and a plurality of positive electrodes within said apparatus and separately connected to said source, of multiple windings related to a common core inserted in the connections to the scve'al positive electrodes, the direction of said multiple windings being such that htnnologous normal currents magnetize the common core in he same di rection.

15. The combination with an alternating current circuit, a vapor device comprising a hermetically sealed and con'iplctcly exhausted container and suitable electrodes theret'or, one at least being of vaporizable reconstructing material, the said device being operated and started from said alternating current circuit, and means for severing within the vacuum space a metallic contact while carrying current derived from the circuit for breaking down the negative electrode starting reluctance, of means for enabling the apparatus to start regardless of the alternations in which the severing ot the said contact occurs.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 24th day of January, A. D. 1905.

PERCY H. THOM I. 

